


Caught in the moment

by bblamentation



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Olympics, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 22:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9208556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bblamentation/pseuds/bblamentation
Summary: The first time exy is brought to the Olympics, the US court catches triumph, pride, and gold.The first time Neil is brought to the Olympics, he catches strength, warmth, and embraces.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EmiAliceinWonderland](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmiAliceinWonderland/gifts).



> I should be writing my essay that's due next week, but here we are: blaming/thanking Emi as an excuse to write fluff and hugs.

One second before the buzzer sounded, the Olympic stadium rumbled. The excitement was not only from the Americans who led the game by three points but the world was caught in a soon-to-be monumental moment. As soon as the buzzer sounded, the crowd erupted with such volume and enthusiasm Neil knew he was wearing an awful grin, teeth bare but heavy with exhaustion of the match behind them. It had been both the longest and shortest ninety minutes of his life (second only to the Ravens’ match) and although the US Courts’ two most experienced strikers passes and goals were only played in the second half, Neil swore the clack of sticks and the punch from Kevin confirmed Neil Josten had really scored in the sport he loved most. Kevin’s punch to his arm did not help when he tried to take a step to straighten himself but he still felt the relief of the vigorous training regimes and the weight of the US Court, or rather the first exy team to win gold in the Olympics.

How had he gone from the boy in Millport to the man standing on the Olympic courts?

Rather than his mind blanking in the lights and the volume, Neil’s head filled with bright memories of the love from his foxes, the camaraderie of the teams he signed with, and the strength of Andrew Minyard. Andrew Minyard, who stood lax almost unaffected by the noise and ecstasy of the game, was Neil’s pillar to the game he played.

In only a matter of a moment, Neil left Kevin with Thea and was sprinting towards the other end of the court doing his best to both accept and shake off the claps to his back and the cheers ringing raw. As he drew nearer to the short goalkeeper, leaning against his exy stick, waiting, Neil could see the pull of a smile in the corner of Andrew’s thin lips. That pull tugged his overworked legs towards home goal—Neil towards Andrew.

A clack of helmets and heavy exy gear should have thrown the goalkeeper to the floor but despite how his position rarely allowed for tackles, Andrew needed only to take one step back and drop his exy stick to hold Neil’s weight. Neil’s arms embraced his back in warmth and elation. With the mix of post-game euphoria Neil beamed, Andrew held him back, arms wrapped not so cautiously in a connection that Neil felt they were back in their apartment lethargically laying together on the sofa with King Fluffkins and Sir Fat Cat McCatterson curled in their laps.

Neil brought himself back and shifted, giving them room, to press his helmet against Andrew’s and stared straight into hazel eyes. He breathed hard catching his breath by watching Andrew watching him before asking, “would you have said yes if you didn’t have this on?”

“I wouldn’t kiss you with that stupid grin plastered on your face,” Andrew said plainly but the tug that still played on his lips excited Neil as his winning goal had.

In both euphoria and defiance Neil grinned, “says the person who is wearing his fourth smile in his entire life.”

“Junkie.”

Neil laughed, a short but strange thing. One that was only one syllable and enough that his grin softened. He pulled his helmet off staring at his teammate, his partner, his home, softening the smile and coaxing Andrew to pull his helmet off. Neil would have asked once more for Andrew’s yes but the rest of the court, including the subs, were bringing the Olympic party towards them.

 

* * *

 

If the papers had waited on Neil Josten, ranked fifth exy player, to trash-talk and taunt the silver medallists, they lost stories. For all Neil could comment was the brilliant play of his teammates and the strong defence they had, and what he did comment on the rival teams was the effort and love for exy they shared. All was said without looking at the interviewer.

Neil rushed to the changing rooms, bathing in the fire the US court still exuded and returned to Andrew’s side. As casual as his throat and heart allowed him Neil said, “good game.”

Andrew slanted him a look—the smile gone and left on the court—before saying, “yes.” He kept a lax stare on Neil.

It took a moment before Neil understood Andrew was not speaking of their final game of the Summer. He swallowed as he noted Andrew’s gaze had slid from his eyes to his lips and Neil caught his breath. He leaned forward, first testing that Andrew had meant his “yes.”

Responding to the need of confirmation, Andrew placed one hand on Neil’s shoulder and the other under his chin and thumbed his lower lip. Neil inhaled. Andrew breathed a slow exhale on Neil’s parted lips before tilting his head to kiss his partner. Neil could not help but close his eyes under Andrew’s touch, trembling ever so-slightly that he was unsure whether it was a post-game lethargy or how Andrew’s thumb rubbed his jaw as if he were massaging and coaxing a kiss.

In their kisses, Neil’s head mixed noises of Andrew’s rebounds with the huff of his own breath and vibrations of a clacked exy stick with the nervousness of his needy hands already in Andrew’s hair.

“Josten! Minyard! Shower!”

Neil jerked at the sound of their names and would have been unapologetic in sneaking another kiss from Andrew if the coach had not carried on with a threat.

“Otherwise you’re not standing on that podium!”

**Author's Note:**

> Just realised that it has taken me 6 months since reading tfc for me to actually write and finish a fic... I should work on the other ones I have ^^;;


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